Tank for laundry machines



June 21, 1932. w, DUNHAM 'TANK FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed Jan. 8, 19 27 2 Shegts-Sheet 1 avwemtoz GEORGE W. DUNHAM June 21, 1932. G

..w. DUNHAM TANK FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed Ja 8, 1927 2 Sheet us 2 IIII i1 IIIIIIIIIII III auoemtoz A Sa N HAM Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE W. DUNHAM, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHIRLDRY CORPORATION, OF NEW HAVEN,

CONNECTICUT, CORPORATION OF NEW YORK TANK FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES Application filed January 8, 1827. Serial No. 159,784.

This invention relates, in general, to tanks, and more particularl to a tank for use with a laundry machine w ich may be made principally from sheet metal and which supports the associated laundry apparatus without the use of a skeleton frame or any other auxiliary supporting devices.

According to the invention, a tank for a laundry machine is provided whose bottom includes a bottom plate made of some strong sheet metal such as steel. The bottom plate may support an'assembly of laundry apparatus attached to the center thereof, the bottom plate in turn being supported by legs near the outer edge thereof. The assembly may include such necessary laundry apparatus as the laundry receptacle, a pedestal for supporting the receptacle, a pum and a gear box for holding the gearing or performing the various laundry operations. The

bottom plate may also have depending there'- Various other features and advantages of h I .the invention will be apparent from the following particular description and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings.

The invention also consists in certain new and original features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself,"

as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connecclaims parts will tion with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which ig. 1 is an elevation of a laundry machine having a tank according to the invention showing parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of a part of the tank at the center of the bottom thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail section on'the line .of Fig. 4 showing a bottom plan view of the tank and showing the manner of securin a leg to the tank, the leg being indicated in d otand-dash lines I Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 6; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the leg; and, Fig. 6 is a. section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4. In the followin description and in the be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, the laundry machine, in general, comprises a tank 1 sultably supported by legs 2 and having a suitable cover 3. Depending from the tank bottom 4 may bean electric motor 5 for driving the machine.

The tank bottom 4, in general, is conical, sloping to an opening 6 in the center thereof. Secured to the bottom of the tank at this opening is a horizonally disposed centrifugal type pump 7, the upper wall of the pump aving an upstanding hub Sand strengthentween the webs. The pump may be, in eneral, of any desired construction and is provided with a usual impeller 11. Suspended from the pump may be a gear box 12 having asuitable gearing therein for performing the various operations and having suitable drive connections with themotor 5.

Seated within the hub 8 may a hollow' pedestal 13, in which suitable drive shafting denoted generally by 16 may be positioned connecting with the pump impeller 11 and gear box 12. A stra ner 17 having a large, foraminous, flat portion and a relatively small conical portion, which may also ,be f0- 85 ing-webs 9 with inlet. openings 10 disposed beraminous, may be provided over the inlet openings 10 and surrounding the pedestal l3.

Rotatably mounted on the top of' the pedestal 13 and having suitable driving connection with the shafting 16 within the pedestal is a laundry receptacle 18, which may be of the imperforate'type. The laundry receptacle, in general, comprises a lower imperforate body portion 19 and an upper guard ring 20 with discharge openings 21 at the largest diameter. The receptacle may have a tubular hub 22, which may be suitably journalled upon the hollow pedestal.

A suitable agitator 23 may be provided disposed within the receptacle and having suitable drive connection with the shafting 16 inside the hollow pedestal. I

A standpipe 25 may be provided at the side of the tank 1 comprising a lower riser tube 26, in which is telescopically mounted a flow pipe 27 having a return bent discharge nozzle 28, which is adapted to optionally discharge into the receptacle 18. into the tank 1 or clear of the machine. The standpipe 25 has connection with the discharge side of the pump 7 by means of a piece of flexible tubing 29.

For washing, laundry and laundry liquid are placed in the receptacle 18, the agitator 23 is caused to have an oscillatory, rotatory motion, and the laundry liquid may be continuously circulated from the bottom of the tank up through the standpipe 25 into the top of the receptacle 18 whence it overflows through the discharge openings 21. For drying, the agitator may be removed and the flow through the standpipe 25 stopped and the receptacle 18 rotated to cause the liquid to be discharged through the discharge openings 21 by centrifugal force.

The bottom 4 of the tank may comprise a bottom plate 15 made up of a strong fairly heavy metal sheet, which is strong enoughto act as a base or support for the entire machine. Sheet steel maybe conveniently used for this purpose. The bottom plate 15 may have an annular, depressed portion 30 surrounding the center opening, in which may be disposed a flat strengthening ring 31. The bottom is provided with a lining 32 of relatively thin, rustproof material such as copper or brass, the lining covering substantially the entire bottom plate 15. The lining 32 covers the ring 31 and is bent downwardly in said opening to form a flange 33 and suitably soldered in position, as shown in Fig. 2. The pump casing 34 is secured to the tank bottom by means of stud-bolts 35 extending up through the bottom plate 15, the reinforcing ring 31 and the lining 32 and having threaded thereon castle nuts 36 with smooth tops. A suitable gasket 37 may be interposed between the pump casing 34 and the bottom to prevent leakage.

The cylindrical wall 40 of the tank, which may be horizontally corrugated near its top and bottom for strength and appearance, may be made of relatively thin, light metal such as brass or copper. The bottom plate 15 is provided at its periphery with a depending flange 41; the lining 32 and the side wall 40 are bent around the bottom of this depending flange 41 and suitably soldered or brazed in osition solder 42 being placed in the crack between the lining 32 and the side wall 40, this construction being shown clearly in Fig. 4.

The legs 2 of which there may be three in number to provide the advantage of a threepoint support, may be constructed and attached in the following manner. Each leg 2 may comprise a relatively flat attaching portion 43,the metal being bent or rolled to forma more or less open channel portion 44, the lower end of the leg ending in a split sleeve 45, in which may be disposed a ball type caster 46, the split sleeve serving to grip the ball caster tightly. The attaching portion 43 may be provided with a plurality of holes 47 which register with a plurality of sockets 48 formed in the bottom plate 15. Each socket in the bottom plate 15 is formed by depressing or deforming the metal downwardly to provide a rectangular seat for the rectangular head 49 of a bolt 50. The bottom of the socket has an opening 53 for the shank of the bolt and the side of the socket has an opening 54 to allow the attaching bolt 50 to be inserted laterally from below. It will be noted that the side openings '54 for inserting the bolts 50 open in opposite directions for any one leg, to positively pfievent lateral shifting of the leg as a whole after it is attached.

It will easily be appreciated that the fastening bolts 50 may be placed in position with their shanks projecting downwardly from the bottom. Each leg 2 may be placed in position with the holes 47 in its attaching portion 43 threaded onto the bolts 50. Suitable lockwashers 55 and nuts 56-may be provided to securely clamp the leg 2 to the bottom plate 15. It will be seen that the sockets 48 are covered by the lining 32 and the inside of the tank presents a substantially smooth surface.

The connecting bolts 50 are spaced sufiiciently from the lining to prevent any danger of wearing a hole therethrough.

The driving motor 5 may also be supported from the bottom plate by means of bolts seated in sockets 57 in the bottom plate, the construction of the sockets being similar to those above described.

Thus, it will be seen that a tank isprovided having a double bottom, the lower plate of the double bottom'performing the function not only of a bottom but also of a frame or support for the entire machine. The legs may be made from sheet material and attached to the bottom near the edge thereof in a simple and efiicient manner without the use of any auxiliary skeleton frame-work. Furthermore, the pedestal assembly may be secured to the bottom without the use of any auxiliary framework, the bottom plate alone acting to withstand the stress due to the disposition of the assembly at the center and the legs at the edge leaving the wall of the tank substantially free from structural stress. During centrifugal extraction, the rotation of the receptacle may cause a certain amount of vibration, and the strength and resiliency of the bottom can withstand this vibration without deleterious eflects on the parts. The flexible tube 29 COIIIIGCfiIlg the pump with the standpipe allows the pedestal assembly to vibrate without communicating the vibrations to the stand- 1pc. p While certain novel features of the invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a tank comprising bounding walls including a bottom plate having an opening, said bottom plate having an annular depressed portion surrounding said opening, a separate flat reenforcing ring in said portion, a lining covering said'bottom plate and ring, said ring, bottom plate m hand.

y GEORGE W. DUNHAM.

and lining having aligned holes, means for supporting said bottom plate near the outer edge thereof, laundry operating mechanism and fastening devices passing through said holes tosecure said laundry operating mech anism in position.

2. A tank having a bottom plate, said plate having a depresse portion forming a socket,

said socket having a hole,'an attached member, a connecting element seated in said socket and secured to said attached member, and a lining for said socket.

3. A tank having a bottom plate, said bottom plate having a depressed portion formbottom plate covering said mg a non-circular socket, said socket having a a I an attached memlower hole and a side hole, her having a hole registering with said lower hole, a bolt having a non-circular head fitting in said socket and registering holes, and a lining of sheet material for said bottom plate covering said socket. I

4. A tank having a bottom plate with a depending peripheral flange, a lining for said bottom plate, a surrounding wall, said wall and lining being bent around said flange and secured in position. 1

5. In a washing machine, a tank comprising a bottom plate and a surrounding wall secured to and directly risingfifrom the edge was ng operating said bottom plate, a plurality of in ependeut 

